Leicester City have to be up for a fight when they take on relegation-threatened Southampton on Thursday night, winger Demarai Gray has warned.

The Saints are running out of time as they attempt to climb out of the bottom three and will be desperate for a victory at the King Power Stadium.

They have produced battling displays against Arsenal and Chelsea in their last two games, but ultimately lost both games, and Gray believes their desperation will mean Thursday night’s game could be an uncomfortable one for Claude Puel’s men.

In contrast to the Sainst, defeat at Burnley has meant City have very little to play for in the final five games, but Gray insists they are determined to finish the season strongly.

“I think we’ve got to bounce back now from the loss,” said Gray.

Demarai Gray fires a shot at goal during the Premier League match between Southampton and Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium (Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

“We’re at home which makes it better, with our fans behind us and stuff.

“I think the most important is that we finish the season strong and we go into the Southampton game with a positive attitude.

“Just because they’re at the bottom end of the table, doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy game. They’ve got a lot to play for and every game is important for every team.

“We’re expecting a tough game, a fight from them, it’s definitely not going to be easy.

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“We’ve got to go into the game with the right attitude and approach it properly and I think as long as we do that, we’ll come out with three points.

“You’ve seen Southampton in their last few games. They lost the other day to Chelsea, but they were 2-0 up, so it shows that they’ve got a fighting spirit.

“Obviously they lost the game in the end, but to be 2-0 up against Chelsea shows that they’ve got a bit of character.

“I think it’s not going to be an easy game and we’ve just got to do what we do best and try and win.”

Fousseni Diabate replaces Demarai Gray during the Premier League match between Burnley and Leicester City at Turf Moor (Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

Gray has endured a frustrating few months of being in and out of Puel’s starting line-up, but he said the final five games are important for him on a personal level as he tries to cement himself in Puel’s side.

“Me personally, it’s just to play as much football as I can and try and finish the season strong,” he said.

“From a team perspective, we’ve just got to try and get points in every single game now.

“The last five or six games of the season are always vital, so we’ve just to finish the season positively.”